Independent Editor,
Reading the Weekly Sportsman article on the Spartan tragedy, I take issue with his comment. He waited because it was too soon. This shooting was too soon! No one can tell how long someone’s grieving process will be because everyone has a different relationship to these tragedies.
There are some clear answers to these shooting and if we don’t start addressing them one by one we will never curtail or stop them. There may be laws on the books that were not enforced. That does not mean other laws should not be enacted. More tools can make the enforcement easier. A person can repair equipment with a pipe wrench, hammer, chisel or screwdriver, but if that person has the correct wrenches and specific tools for the job, the repairs will be faster and more enduring.
Mental illness is a big part of these shootings, so why did Donald Trump sign HJ40 on February 28, 2017 making it easier for the mentally ill to purchase firearms? Hindsight is 20/20, that does not mean that correcting problems of one incident will not resolve future incidents.
Certain types of guns seem to be used in these shootings. Some of those guns have no business being in the hands of everyday people. The NRA has pushed these weapons to appease the manufacturers who did not get a contract with the U.S. Military. The NRA used to be an organization of hunters and sportsmen, now they are a lobbyist group for firearm manufacturers.
Schools, churches, shopping centers and residential neighborhoods will continue to be targets until there are more restrictions and safeguards enacted. Until then, we will all wait for a shooting to come to our neighborhood, courtesy of the NRA, gun manufacturers and the GOP.
Bill Kline, Middlebury Township